Report on self-confessed drug lord Dataram’s allegations against CANU likely to be made public

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 July 2016, 16:48 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana government is likely to make public the report of an inquiry into allegations against the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) by self-confessed drug lord, Barry Dataram.

The report of the inquiry made into Dataram’s allegations will be up for discussion at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon told a post-Cabinet press briefing today.

“We are willing to make the report public but, Cabinet must have a look at it first, and we are going to have it on the agenda next Tuesday for Cabinet to discuss after which the Minister of Public Security, under whose remit the entities under investigation fall, will make a public statement,” Minister Harmon said.

The probe was conducted by Brigadier Bruce Lovell, who was appointed by President David Granger shortly after the allegations were made.

During the handing over of the report to Minister Harmon late last week, Brigadier Lovell said that the allegations made by Dataram are of a very serious nature against officials of the State, and as such it was incumbent on the Government to carry out an investigation, which he completed in the period of two months.

Back in March, 2016 Dataram accused CANU of being involved in the cocaine trade with one unnamed agent raking in as much as GYD$10 million to allow cocaine to leave the country.

“CANU, them is the most corrupted, rogue security force in this country. They are the biggest drug dealer this country has. The same drug that they seize, half of it goes back on the street,” he said on HGPTV Channel 67’s Nightly News.

Among the allegations against CANU was that GYD$5 million is  paid upfront by the trafficker and the remaining 50 percent is paid on arrival of the cocaine in the United States or Canada. Dataram has said that at least 30 to 40 percent of the 129 kilogrammes of cocaine seized from his home at Diamond, East Bank Demerara in April, 2015 is back on the streets.

Dataram, who has so far successfully fought an extradition arrest by the United States, is currently before the court for allegedly being in possession of 100 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The narcotic was allegedly found at a house at Diamond, East Bank Demerara. Two other persons, who were in the house with him at the time, have been also charged with allegedly being in possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.